Conventional vehicles utilize three or four wheels for support and steering, typically with two of the wheels (non-steering) fixedly mounted for rotation along a common axis. It is well-known that these vehicles can turn only about a point located along the common axis.
For example, most conventional hand-controlled lawn mowers typically have a four-wheel support. Most conventional edger/trimmers use a three-wheel support. Both types of vehicles have at least two, non-steerable wheels on fixed axles coaxially mounted. Steering is accomplished by pushing down on a handle of either vehicle to lift all but two, non-steerable wheels off the ground and then rotating the vehicle about some point on the axis of the two wheels.
Because of their overall geometry, conventional lawn mowers cannot mow in a sharp turn, overlap in a 180 degree turn or perform their functions for 360 degrees around any radius, down to zero, in a continuous forward motion without being at least partially raised off the ground. The inability of conventional type riding work vehicles such as riding mowers, sweepers, paint stripers, Zambonis, etc. to raise one or more of their wheels off the ground also prevents these vehicles from being able to maneuver in this way.
The present invention provides an arrangement for a wheeled work vehicle which enables the vehicle to be maneuvered in sharp turns, to be reversed upon itself and otherwise to be able to be maneuvered and turned within any radius down to zero without raising any portion of the vehicle off the ground.
The present invention provides an arrangement for hand propelled and/or controlled work vehicles such as lawn mowers which do not require partial lifting of the vehicle in order to turn the vehicle.
The present invention also provides an arrangement for wheeled vehicles capable of supporting a ground-working implement which would enable the vehicle to be turned in any direction and with any radius of turning with respect to the implement while in operation.